Steam’s Refund Feature – Is this Still a Viable Option?

[Space-Ventura]

Back in the day before downloading games I used feel reassured that I could take a game back to the shop if I met all the perquisites for a refund.

When I found out Steam had something similar via it’s refund policy I started buying with confidence. It is due to a bad experience I had with Steam that I no longer feel confident.

In the beginning it was great for me. It really spurred my on to purchase more. Unfortanley I ran I have pretty much stopped my usual amount of purchases. I’d like to start again without having to build up a collection elsewhere although I have a small collection with Origin.

Would some of you mind sharing your thoughts on whether Steam’s Refund Feature is still a viable option? Like they still give out refunds easily enough if you fit all the perquisites such as time played, et … and so?

The only thing I can mentioned is that it was not until the first time I requested a refund into my bank that I was first rejected. I fit all the perquisites and was no happy with their decision to say the least. I have since felt not only is it more an issue with higher priced games but never ask to have money replaced into a bank account as after having a good run of refunds falling within their parameters it was not until I forget to mention that refund to steam wallet was AOK.
I hope you guys have been having a much better time of it re the refund policies. I wonder if they have been changed?

[Yasahi]

Originally posted by DigiDave:

I hope you guys have been having a much better time of it re the refund policies. I wonder if they have been changed?

They haven't. Within 2 weeks of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime will go through without issues unless you've been abusing refunds to the point that Valve has stopped giving you them. That would mean you'd have received a few warnings before that too.

If they can't for whatever reason refund via the used payment method, they'll refund to Steam Wallet. You can also choose to have it refunded to the wallet. This is explained in the article about refunds. https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/

[Space-Ventura]

Originally posted by Yasahi:

Originally posted by DigiDave:

...unless you've been abusing refunds to the point that Valve has stopped giving you them. That would mean you'd have received a few warnings before that too.

I was all good with that side of things. No warnings. More a case of outright refusal whilst meeting the parameters. I paid with bank card and it was the first time I had an issue when requesting refund into my bank account regardless of what steam states. I will try a few more times being very careful with my purchases. Thanks for your reply.

[El poco nuez del muerte]

Refunds have not been changed. Two weeks, two hours and your refund is basically guaranteed.

The refunds Valve has implemented are not a right though, they are a privilege and as such can be revoked. If they deem refund behaviour to be abuse, a warning will be give. Another one after that and maybe even a third. But eventually, the option to refund will be gone.

[El poco nuez del muerte]

Originally posted by DigiDave:

I was all good with that side of things. No warnings. More a case of outright refusal whilst meeting the parameters. I paid with bank card and it was the first time I had an issue when requesting refund into my bank account regardless of what steam states. I will try a few more times being very careful with my purchases. Thanks for your reply.

Right, that sounds more like a mistake, did you use the "I have a question" option after the refund was refused? If you are within the envelope and never recieved any warnings, the refund will go through, so this seems to be an accident.

[Tito Shivan]

Originally posted by DigiDave:

Back in the day before downloading games I used feel reassured that I could take a game back to the shop if I met all the perquisites for a refund.

Just mentioning opened software has been not refundable for the longest time

[Space-Ventura]

Originally posted by Tito Shivan:

Originally posted by DigiDave:

Back in the day before downloading games I used feel reassured that I could take a game back to the shop if I met all the perquisites for a refund.

Just mentioning opened software has been not refundable for the longest time

I guess that comes down to the retailer. Those retailers that offer up incentive to buy products via return policies tend to sell more no matter the product. That said, it's probably best not to offer a service it it's not consistent.

[Space-Ventura]

Originally posted by El poco nuez del muerte:

Originally posted by DigiDave:

I was all good with that side of things. No warnings. More a case of outright refusal whilst meeting the parameters. I paid with bank card and it was the first time I had an issue when requesting refund into my bank account regardless of what steam states. I will try a few more times being very careful with my purchases. Thanks for your reply.

Right, that sounds more like a mistake, did you use the "I have a question" option after the refund was refused? If you are within the envelope and never recieved any warnings, the refund will go through, so this seems to be an accident.

Yea - I will ride with this. I'd like to start spending again. I like the refund feature as advertised. Whilst others claim there is no such thing as a refund policy, I do shop more with retailers that have one.

[Zekiran]

They do not refund open software and never have. If you're shopping at thrift stores or at best walmart, maybe they might but that's on them as an outlier.

Shops have *never* accepted open software for REFUNDING. Only exchanges, and 99 times out of 100 for the same exact product only. I've been buying software products since the 80s. It's always been this way.

Falling outside of Steam's 2 hour / 2 weeks means you can try for a manual refund.

they are under absolutely no compulsion to give you one, just keep that in mind.

Also keep in mind that it's easy to accidentally leave a game on, or have issues with its launcher - but all that counts in any way toward that 2 hour mark is *whether that game's executable has been running at all*. They do count 'free' or 'preview' weekend time, though sometimes they will take that into account for a manual refund request and ignore it in favor of 'now the game does x thing instead of what it ought'.

Point being, you should still buy with confidence, but not because you might be allowed to return things. Buy with confidence because you successfully research every purchase and make sure that you are educated about what your money is buying.

[Crazy Tiger]

As said, games that are within 2 weeks and 2 hours of playtime are automatically refunded. With DLC the playtime is for the whole game since purchase of the DLC (a mistake people often make), not just playtime of the actual DLC.
Exceptions are games/dlcs with consumable items, they cannot be refunded but that's also stated on the store pages then.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

Ive used the refund system a few times but I dont use it as a way to "try out" games and tbh never simply *expect* to get my credit back and am hapilly surprised I do with so little fuss so far.

My confidence is fine with using it but I dont take it for granted nor use it for a purpose it may not have been set up for.

I try to follow the spirit of the rules rather than the absolute letter of the rules.

One *might* logically read into them that the system could be used to test out games but is that its reason for being and its intention?

[Zekiran]

but is that its reason for being and its intention?

It has never been the intention of the refund system, to allow people to 'demo' games. Ever.

[Ganger]

There is nothing wrong with the refund option. You know within the first five minutes of playing a game, if that game is for you or not and under two hours you 100% know if your going to enjoy playing a game or not.

I know people say, the refund option is not there to demo games, but this is exactly what people use it for. The technical issues are a sideline.

[Ganger]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Point being, you should still buy with confidence, but not because you might be allowed to return things. Buy with confidence because you successfully research every purchase and make sure that you are educated about what your money is buying.

This is the best advice Zekiran you can give anyone. But most of us buy on impulse without any researching then complain about the purchase. Some even buy products and items solely on the brand name alone without even giving much though.

These's days I tend to research everything im planning on buying, especially high value products unless im at a shop in town and then I must use my own common sense.

[J4MESOX4D]

Steam's refund system is great and is by far one of the most generous in the digital world. Two hours is plenty of time to sample a game. On PSN for instance, once you download a game (doesn't even have to be played) you forfeit the right to get your money back and on other platforms such as Origin, you have to make the request within the first 24 hours else you're stuck.

At retail level, you don't even get to play the games now - once the seal is broken in any way, the retailer can refuse the refund and this has been the case with most PC products for over 15 years now.

Valve's refund policy will remain the most viable and user-friendly out there and it strikes a fine balance between consumer and developer protection.

[🦜Cloud Boy🦜]

Nothing is changed in Steam refund polity. It's still the SAME. And it works just fine.
The Refund is automated. If you meet the 2 hours and 14 days criteria, you will get the refund acceptance confirmation within 2 hours (and money back to your wallet in 24h). It works each time and every time. I do lots of refunds, it works like a clockwork.